An early-morning New Year's Day ride in suburban Atlanta ended in lethal violence for a 58-year-old Uber driver, and a 15-year-old is now facing an adult murder charge, reports Fox News. Police in Lawrenceville, about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta, say Cesar Tejada of Grayson picked up a passenger around 4:13am on Jan. 1 and drove him to Groveland Parkway. When the trip ended, the teen allegedly stepped out of the back seat, shot Tejada, and left him in the road before driving off in the vehicle.
Officers responding to a 5:20am call about a person lying in the street found Tejada with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities described Tejada as a husband and father of two. Investigators say they used Flock license-plate camera technology, along with information from Uber, to trace Tejada's car back to the area where the ride began. Police later detained a suspect they saw walking near his home. "It's a senseless act and not the way any family would want to start a new year," Capt. Dena Pauly of the Lawrenceville Police Department tells WSBTV. "It doesn't appear that there was any sort of argument. It appears to be just a carjacking."
The teen, identified as Christian Simmons, has been charged with murder as an adult; police initially withheld his name because of his age. A company spokesperson said Uber is "saddened by this devastating loss" and offered condolences to Tejada's family, adding that the company is assisting Lawrenceville police. Uber noted it uses former law enforcement personnel to help with investigations.
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